Text description provided by the architects. Shoreview is a suburban community of 25000 residents located 12 miles north of St. Paul Minnesota. The new library operated by Ramsey County Libraries replaced a functionally obsolete community library with the Shoreview Library as a new regional library serving Shoreview and the north metro suburbs. Ramsey County Libraries sought a highly visible site for the new Shoreview Library. Since the Shoreview Library mission was transforming from a local community library into a larger regional library a visual prominence announcing the new services offered was important.

项目所处的场地周围环绕着市政设施 ， 这些市政设施都有着相似的材质——即通过各式各样的砖石让它们看上去具有统一性 。 在这样的背景下 ， 肖维尤图书馆的设计则需要通过独特的方式来表达出建筑的功能特征 ， 并且与城市环境建立联系 。 让使用者可以从不同的方向进入建筑 ， 这对图书馆和肖维尤社区都非常重要 ， 因为设置直观的入口 ， 让人们能够更加便利地到达这里是项目的设计重点 。